Comments

baseball

BTW james, Dunkirk only made $150,000 LAST YEAR, ( they turned most transports over to WCA and Dunkirk is only a basic service anyhow) But do you honestly think that they spent $150,000 on supplies? Its called "overhead". Hope that clarifies it somewhat.

Stephen88

With the rise in calls and the decline in volunteers...are we coming to a time that we will need to add staffing anyway? Can we afford to? Can we afford not to? I don't want to wait 20-30 minutes like other areas of the county. If we are going to add one or two anyway....we would be dumb not to take the grant. 60k for nine firefighters is a deal for this village.

localresident

Shutter, you're right. My post was a bit over-hostile, so I take part of it back. But, it also has some merit. Someone mentioned earlier that a couple people may retire in the next 2 years, so ok, that covers 2 or 3 people, but if these new firemen are union members, i'm sure it will be impossible to let them go when the grant runs out. That means, unless someone forks over another grant or other gimme, taxpayers will be forced to ante-up for 6 more workers, or in essence, about $400,000 give or take.

shutterfly

I also would like to address the Observer. I have been at the meetings on the grant and not once has one of your reporters come to the Fire Station to seek in-put or ask questions on the grant, nor has anyone who writes editorials contacted any one at the Fire Station to get the full story. You have not sought how long the employees have been at the same number or how much the call volume has increased. You have not asked to see the statistics for how many volunteers show up to emergency calls or how many times the Station stands empty while we are on other calls. You my friends speak from a position of ignorance! So before you take a stand and criticize you should at least make the slightest attempts to become educated and informed. Maybe while your at it you could place a few free adds asking your viewers to become involved and join their local Volunteer Fire Department, after all that is public service.

shutterfly

Honestly localresident? You should wake up!! Lt. Butts is employed by the Village of Fredonia and at their direction to him has been seeking grants in an attempt to off-set the cost of everything from Protective gear to employees. He is an intelligent individual who does a great job with what he has been given to work with. The SAFER grant has been applied for for the last 5 years but this is the first time it has been awarded to Fredonia. We have an opportunity to add 9 firefighters for the next 2 years at only the cost of training or about 60K to a Department that struggles to get volunteers to come (I know I am a volunteer). Reality is we all need to be fiscally responsible and we may not be able to keep all 9 at the end of the grant but we have a critical manpower issue and need help now! Our calls have increased by over 34% and we try to do our best with 6 FTE's. You and Captain and others want to help? Stop posting B.S. and join the volunteers, we are waiting for you!!

shutterfly

Captain

This is merely a selfish request (as most grants are), poorly disguised as a benefit to village residents. Reminds me of public school employees who steadfastly defend excessive pay & benefits by saying: "it's all for the kids" or "isn't your child worth it?"

Butts has either lost touch with reality or has some pretty big stones to make this request with a straight face.

Lt Butts may be a nice guy in every other respect, but I'm with localrez...tell him to: "shut the front door!"

commentor

Now that the County Home workers can drop their rant the Fredonia firefighters can start theirs. Butts matches his name. That's what he thinks with. Fredonia Trustees best not fall for this rant. It is a bad idea!!!!

obamaless

once again,the observer has not answered the big question,who is going to respond to the calls,the number of volunteer firefighter is going down. there alot reasons. it just not hear in fredonia,but the hole county and across the state. open your eyes people,it pay with the grant or later with local taxs. ps waiting for the obserrverr to answer the question.yes it that bad out there. iam a vol. firefighter!

baseball

Regarding the Fire grant, doesn't the Village want to start charging for medical transports, the money made could pay to greatly off set the new employees! Here is the catch 22 the Village wants to charge for 1300-1400 transports a year, yet to do so, man power is needed. Yes Fredonia has Volunteers who contribute a lot, but in today's world, families have more than one job, it makes it tougher for volunteers to donate their time because of family obligations and the greatly increased training that the State and Feds have put on volunteers everywhere! 1300-1400 Transports a year is a lot, considering that most local Fire Depts only have a couple hundred calls a year Fredonia's total is almost 1800 a year--big difference! charging for transports, can pay for added staff, but the Village wants the money for their general fund for their pet projects.

baseball

You can tell that the observer has it wrong again as usual, The Village population is slightly over 11,000 residents, add the college and the population is over 16,000. College students are not counted where they go to school, my kids go to college out of Town, but they are listed as residents at my home. the observer's logic is flawed as usual. The observer thinks that the regular population is half the size of Dunkirk, yet the local school systems have roughly the same population It all adds up to the observer and the biased editor being wrong as usual.